1. Name a book that you said “thank u, next” to, i.e. DNF’d (did not finish):

I am particularly disappointed about this book that I DNF’d. I was expecting some really amazing stuff, simply because it was marketed as “Harry Potter for adults.” I bought this book, too, which is another blow.

To put it simply, the story really bored me – the world really bored me. Not only is the magic completely weird and nonsensical, it is never really explained. There’s not really a rhyme or reason to it. Everyone is different. And also, the “big bad” in this book is so covered in mystery and doesn’t even show up until half way through the book that I just couldn’t care about it. I read about half of the book and I set it aside to read some other books and I just…never felt like picking it up again. I just can’t.

2. Name a book that taught you love, i.e. a book you loved:

I have never felt more seen than when reading Andersen’s books. Almost every story she produces speaks to me in some way. This book is terrific, but then all of her books are. Her comics are pure genius and are so genuine. I laugh out loud reading them and I feel comfort knowing that I’m not alone in my own weirdness.

3. Name a book that taught you patience:

I don’t know if any book has necessarily taught me patience. I’m a pretty impatient person – a quality I try to work on all the time.

But if there’s one character who could teach anyone patience, it would be Elinor Dashwood. Not only does she have to be the voice of reason in her family for most of the time, but she also has to constantly put her own wants and needs off in favor of her family, for one reason or another. She get’s her happy ending, of course, but it’s only after many long years of being patient and dealing with other people’s nonsense with dignity and grace.

4. Name a book that taught you pain:

I’ve written about this book before on this blog and for a similar reason. This was the first book to make my actually cry. I was so messed up by this book. I could not believe how deeply it cut me. I went to see the movie with my mother, however, and it did nothing for me. They also changed the ending, which I understand on a technical level. But it didn’t do the book’s story justice. So there you go.

5. Name a book that you loved at the time of reading but in hindsight you do not like as much anymore but which you still learned some other quality from:

Guys, I will not lie to you. I was obsessed with Twilight when it first came out. I waited impatiently for every book as it was published, I saw the movies. I was really, really into it (#teamedward). But still…I can recognize that it is just…not good. I can recognize now that Stephanie Meyer is a pretty terrible writer. I can even recognize now that a lot of her religious beliefs are subtly in place in these novels.

But I cannot say that Twilight didn’t teach me anything. I really came to love supernatural fiction because of Twilight. I came to love and appreciate fanfiction because of Twilight. So I can’t say that I regret this series. The only thing I do regret is that it produced an even bigger monstrosity (50 Shades of Grey).

6. Name a book you’re currently talking to, i.e. have the hots for:

I just read this book and I was blown away by how good it was! As far as re-tellings go, it’s pretty fantastic. But add to that awesome characterization, disability rep done right, and a really beautifully built world…it’s fire! I’m super into it. 🔥🔥🔥

7. Name the book that gon’ last – the book of you – the book that helped you love yourself a little bit more:

Man, this book changed my life!!! I read it a few years back and not only did it bring the climate crisis home to me, it also opened my eyes to how I as an individual could help make change. I made real life changes – I vastly reduced using plastic bags, I swapped out a lot of single-use plastics, making my bathroom routine almost completely plastic free. Every day I try to think about the impact I’m having on our environment and I do my best to keep increasing the ways that I can limit my trash footprint. I think this book has really helped me see how my individual choices can make a difference.

This book is hard to read – even though it’s written for children! The facts are gut-punching, chilling. But I highly recommend it. It’s fantastic.

Thoughts & Thanks

And there you have it! This was tag different from the usual fare, so I’m glad I was tagged and had the opportunity to put it together.

I tag…

You! (Honestly, I’m so new to the blogging world, I just getting me footing and getting to know some really amazing bloggers.

If you are inspired by this tag, consider yourself tagged by me and go out and do it! Try to ping back to me, because if there’s anything I love about this site, it’s getting to look at peoples’ book selections! See you next time and happy reading!

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Published by Sara@YearofReadingDangerously.com

I'm a librarian who loves to knit, craft, and play board games. I provide free reviews of books in a variety of genres on this blog. I love to discuss books with fellow book lovers and engage in nerdy discourse about the many fandoms I'm a part of (Harry Potter, Marvel, Star Wars, Jane Austen, etc).
View all posts by Sara@YearofReadingDangerously.com